


Operation: Wolfpack

by woodelf



Series: The Floofy!verse [14]
Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Dogs, F/M, Meredith is a young Merida if you can't tell, Originally Posted on Tumblr, You might recognise a few of them, lots of dogs
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-10
Updated: 2020-09-11
Packaged: 2021-03-07 00:07:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 10,615
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26387656
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/woodelf/pseuds/woodelf
Summary: Henry enlists his grandparents' help in a scheme to get his parents back together.
Relationships: Baelfire | Neal Cassidy/Emma Swan, Belle/Rumplestiltskin | Mr. Gold, Henry Mills & Rumplestiltskin | Mr. Gold
Series: The Floofy!verse [14]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1836043
Comments: 4
Kudos: 31





	1. Chapter 1

“I was thinking.” Henry bit off a chunk of his peppermint stick ice cream cone. “About my parents.”

Despite the cold weather, a steady stream of customers were trickling in and out of the ice cream parlour, cheerfully decorated for the season with crepe paper snowflakes hanging from the ceiling and decals of snowmen and reindeer on the windows. 

Belle made an encouraging noise for him to continue as she nibbled more delicately at her eggnog-flavoured ice cream. Rumpelstiltskin had stuck to one of his regular favourites, mint chocolate chip, pointing out the festive green colour when they’d prodded him to try one of the special holiday flavours. 

“I kinda thought that they would have gotten back together by now,” Henry admitted. “I mean, it’s okay if they stay just friends, but I know my dad wants more and my mom still loves him. It’s just that I thought things were heading that way." He took another bite of his ice cream, crunching on the bits of peppermint candy, and looked thoughtful. "What do you think? You saw them together on Christmas Eve." They’d had dinner at the Gold’s house like last year, only this time with David and Mary Margaret and baby Daniel in attendance as well. Henry had voted for Christmas Day at home, thinking ahead to lounging around late in his pajamas and enjoying playing with any new presents he got.

"I agree,” said Belle. “There’s something there.”

“Definitely on Neal’s side. I’ve seen how he looks at her,” agreed Rumpelstiltskin. “What do you propose? You said you’ve been thinking.”

“Well, I thought, most of the time when they’re together I’m around, too. But what if they could have a night out together, like at Luigi’s? Some wine, candlelight…” He waggled his eyebrows in a suggestive manner. “And if I happened to be staying the night at my grandparents’ house, well, then they could do anything they liked together after.” His nose scrunched up. “You know, kissing and stuff.”

“It’s worth a shot,” Belle acknowledged, stifling the urge to giggle as Henry contemplated the thought of what else his parents might do. “Nothing complicated, just giving nature a chance to take its course or not. Either way, they get a pleasant night out.”

“So, are David and Snow going to invite you over?” asked Rumpelstiltskin, keeping his face straight.

“No, you are!” Henry exclaimed in exasperation. “Why do you think I’m talking this over with you? We could call it….Operation Wolfpack.” He was currently engrossed in reading The Jungle Books, Belle having given him a fat, gilt-edged volume of Rudyard Kipling’s tales for Christmas. “Besides, I thought you might be willing to pay for the dinner at Luigi’s, Neal being your son and all.” Henry gave him his best hopeful puppy dog look.

Rumpelstiltskin laughed. “All right. You are most certainly welcome to come over at any rate, if it’s okay with your mother.”

The bell over the door jangled, and they automatically glanced towards the newcomer, Henry’s face lighting up as Emma entered. 

“Hey, Mom!” He stood up and beckoned her over.

“What’s up, kiddo? Ready to go home already?”

“Not quite. I was wondering, do you think I could sleep over at Grandpa Gold’s one night over the holidays?”

“Why?” she asked, then looked abashed. “I mean, I guess so, if they want you?” She looked inquisitively at Rumpelstiltskin and Belle. 

“Henry’s always welcome,” Belle assured her. 

Rumpelstiltskin nodded. “We’ve got spare rooms gathering dust; might as well get some use out of them.”

“All right, it’s the holidays; why not? Did you have a specific day in mind?” She automatically fixed Henry’s collar in back, Henry squirming under her attentions. 

“Well, I was thinking,” Rumpelstiltskin said. “I’d like to do something nice for you and Neal, to thank you for letting me borrow my grandson for the night. Dinner at Luigi’s for the two of you? Or you could take it out and enjoy it in the comfort of your home.”

“Oh, you don’t have to do that,” Emma said, then grinned. “On the other hand, I’m not one to turn down free food. So thank you. I’d have to ask Neal, though.”

“Why don’t you call him now?” Henry urged. He glanced at his grandfather. “Would tomorrow be a good night to stay over?” At Rumpelstiltskin’s nod, he prompted his mom. “Ask him if he’s free tomorrow." 

"All right.” Emma looked somewhat taken aback by her son’s enthusiasm, but took out her phone and turned partly away, to lean one shoulder against the wall as she called Neal. 

Henry grinned and gave his co-conspirators a big wink. 

“Neal wants to know if you’re up to something?” Emma lowered her phone and addressed Gold.

“Me?” He did his best to appear affronted. “Henry’s the one who wanted to come over!”

“No, he’s fine with that; he means buying us dinner. Especially when you just had us over for Christmas.”

“Tell him he’s an ungrateful child and that’s the last time I offer to do anything nice for the parents of my grandson.” Gold retorted. Neal must have heard him, because they heard a burst of loud laughter from the other end. 

Emma put the phone back to her ear and listened for a minute. “Okay, ‘bye.” Emma put her phone away and rested both her hands on Henry’s shoulders. “Neal says thank you and that he’s free tomorrow evening. And to tell you that he’s gonna order the most expensive thing on the menu.” She grinned. “So it looks like this scamp is all yours for the night.” She gave Henry a light shake. “Behave yourself and don’t stay up all night.”

“We’ll make sure that he gets to bed at a reasonable hour,” Belle assured her. 

“I’ll call to say goodnight,” Emma promised Henry. “Maybe we’ll catch a movie after, go see something you wouldn’t like.”

Henry shot his grandparents a look of triumph, Belle biting her lip to fight back a smile at the way his plans were going. “Ruby mentioned wanting to go see some new romantic thriller,” she offered helpfully. “I don’t remember the name though.”

“I’ll check it out when I go by there,” Emma said, and glanced down as Henry finished crunching the last of his cone. “All right, tomorrow – around what time should I drop him off?”

“Around six? That’ll give you plenty of time to enjoy your dinner without worrying about the movie starting. The last showing is always at eight." 

"Sounds good. Ready to go, kid?" 

"Yeah, I guess so.” He pushed back his chair and zipped up his jacket before pulling out his gloves. “See you guys tomorrow. Bye, Grandpa, bye, Belle.”

————————

“So, this is nice,” said Neal happily, accepting his wine from the waiter and looking around the dimly-lit restaurant.

“Yeah, makes a change from Granny’s,” Emma agreed. She eyed Neal approvingly. He’d shaved, and was wearing the dark marled blue sweater she’d bought him for Christmas. “I knew you’d look good in that colour." 

Thanks.” Neal glanced down at the sweater. “It looks good, it’s warm, it’s comfortable – I’ll let you do all my shopping from now on.” He grinned. 

“You wish, buster.” Emma lifted her wine and took a sip. “I still can’t believe your dad treated us to a night out, but I am enjoying it. As much as I love Henry, it’s nice to have some adult time. And to go see an R rated movie." 

"Have you been missing out on a little sex and nudity?” Neal teased. 

“Just a little,” she teased back. “Real life provides enough of the violence and the swearing.”

“Not lately, though,” he pointed out. “It’s been a good year." 

"So it has. A few magical mishaps, but nothing we couldn’t handle.”

Neal snorted in amusement. “Remember Papa turning into a lizard at Henry’s school ceremony?”

“Wish I’d thought to take a picture,” Emma lamented. “And how about Henry making friends with a man-eating horse that came out of the magic well and learning to ride on it? That damn thing follows him around like a puppy when they’re together.”

“Gotta admit, Nightshade’s kind of cool. And weirdly enough, I trust him to look after Henry when they’re together. It’s anybody else who tries to ride him that’s in trouble.” He smirked at the memory of David being unceremoniously dumped on the ground by the big black horse when he’d tried to get on its back. Henry could ride it bareback, however. “Henry was wondering if we could build a sleigh for him to pull. I told him I thought it was a bit beyond my capabilities, though. They don’t sell sleigh runners at the hardware store.”

“I dunno, a sleigh might be cool.” Emma envisioned snuggling up under a blanket for a ride while the big black horse trotted smartly ahead, harness bells jingling merrily in the crisp air. “Maybe your dad could magic one up.” She shook her head and made a rueful face. “Here we are, our adult night out, and we’re still talking about our son.”

Neal laughed. “True. But can we help it if we have an awesome son?”

“Apparently not. Don’t know which of us he gets it from. But let’s talk about something else.”

Neal picked up a piece of garlic bread from the basket on the table, took a bite and chewed thoughtfully. “We could talk about us,” he suggested at last. 

Emma’s face froze. She took her own slice of bread, giving herself time to think. “Is there an "us”?“ she ventured. 

"I’d like there to be,” he said quietly. “You know that. I haven’t pushed, but I need to know. Should I keep hoping that one day you might give me a second chance? 'Cause this, this is good what we have. You’re my best friend, and if that’s all we’re ever gonna be, I can live with that, and be happy. But – but if there’s still a chance, that we could be even happier…” He laid his hand on the table, palm up, waiting.

Emma took a deep breath, and a fortifying swallow of wine. She put her hand on the table, her fingertips just brushing his, and looked deep into his eyes. “You’ve got to promise never to pull another stunt like you did 13 years ago,” she said fiercely.

“I will never leave you again,” Neal vowed earnestly. “Not this side of death.”

“It’s not just that,” she said. “It’s why you did it. You thought you were protecting me, that it was in my best interests, but it wasn’t. We could have stayed together, and come to Storybrooke together, when the time came. You didn’t trust me to believe you.”

“Would you have? If I had told you everything?”

“I don’t know. But you didn’t give me a chance. You don’t get to decide what to keep from me. If I’m going to trust you, I have to know that you’ll never hide anything from me again.”

“What if I wanted to plan a surprise party?” Neal ventured, with just a hint of a smile at the corners of his mouth.

“Nothing important. Surprise parties are allowed. Although I’m not really good at surprises; I get suspicious and think the worst.”

“I promise.” Neal cautiously slid his hand over hers, and when she didn’t object, lifted it to his mouth and pressed a kiss on her knuckles. “So are we gonna try this again? The dating thing?”

“What the hell. Carpe diem and all that.” She tightened her hand around his. “Henry’s going to be ecstatic.”

“You know, I wouldn’t be surprised if he wasn’t hoping something like this might happen when he rigged this night up.” Neal grinned, still not letting go of her hand.

“Gold suggested this, not Henry.”

“And who was Gold with at the time of the suggesting?” prompted Neal.

“You think they were all in on it?” Emma demanded. “Conspiring to get us back together?”

“Well, why not? They love us, and want to see us happy. And you have to admit, they didn’t have to conspire very hard. Just a simple set-up. A helpful nudge in the right direction.”

Emma suddenly paled. “The staying overnight thing. You don’t think Henry was deliberately clearing the way in case we wanted to have sex?”

Neal nearly choked. “If it was any other 12 year old, I’d say no, kids don’t generally like to think about their parents doing those things. But Henry…” he trailed off, looking mortified.

“We are not going to have sex tonight,” Emma said firmly.

“God, no. I couldn’t stop thinking about him imagining us if we did." 

"Also it’s moving too fast,” she pointed out. 

“Yeah, you’re right. Maybe a heavy make-out session on the couch, though?” he suggested hopefully.

“Maybe.” She pulled her hand back and picked up her wine, glancing at him over the rim of the glass. “If you buy me a box of SnoCaps at the movie. And let me share your Junior Mints." 

"I can’t believe you remember I liked Junior Mints best. All right, you drive a hard bargain, but deal. You know, I wouldn’t share my candy with just anyone,” Neal said severely, but his eyes twinkled. 

“You’re just lucky I’ll be too full to demand a large popcorn as well,” Emma teased as their dinners arrived, looking and smelling delicious. 

———————

“Great dinner, Belle,” Henry said as he carried the dishes over to the kitchen counter.

“It was nothing fancy,” said Belle modestly. “Just pork roast.”

“I don’t really like fancy,” Henry admitted.

Rumpelstiltskin leaned around Belle to put some more empty dishes down, kissing the back of her neck as he did so. “Neither do I. Hearty, filling, and flavourful,” he said. “Nothing better on a cold winter’s night. You don’t need any fancy sauces or anything if what’s underneath is good.”

“Well, that’s good.” She turned around in his arms, smiling. “Because I’d rather spend time with my two favourite guys than fiddling about with complicated recipes.” She leaned in and kissed her husband.

Henry looked away, but he was beaming, knowing that he had played a part in their finding each other again.

“So, what do you want to do next, Henry?” Rumpelstiltskin asked, as he pulled away.

“Backgammon?” Henry suggested. He had found the latched, leather-bound case in the attic during the summer, loving the way it opened up to reveal the playing field inside and the smooth round markers tidily lined up in their storage slots. It had been easy to learn, and the mix of luck resulting from the roll of the dice and the experience needed to know how to best use what one got made it both fun and challenging, quickly becoming his favourite game to play with his grandfather. The only problem was that only two could play at a time. 

“You can play winner,” he told Belle. “Or pick the next game.”

“I’ll pick the next game.” She smiled at him, her eyes twinkling. “Finish clearing and wipe the table and you two can get started while I load the dishes and put away the leftovers.”

“You sure?” Rumpelstiltskin asked. “We can help –”

“No, I’m fine. It won’t take long.”

“Bet you’re going to pick trivia,” Henry grinned. “Or – wait, Scattergories.” Although her brief cursed time as Lacey had given her some memories of this world, and she read voraciously to learn ever more, there were still a lot of trivia questions involving things she had never heard of. Scattergories tested one’s wit and quick thinking, too, and often devolved into hilarity to boot. 

“Give the young man a prize,” she said, pushing a decorative tin towards him. “Christmas cookies. You can take them over to the table. I’ll bring some cocoa when I come if you like.”

“Yes, please. Thank you.” He lifted the lid off the tin and took out a powdery butterball cookie, popping it into his mouth and going back for the last of the plates and glasses. Rumpelstiltskin followed with a damp washcloth, and a couple of minutes later Henry ran off to fetch the backgammon set. 

Soon he and Rumpelstiltskin were deeply involved in a game, and presently Belle joined them with 3 mugs of cocoa, enjoying just sitting and sipping and watching them play. The evening passed pleasantly in a succession of games, Henry finally glancing up at the clock. 

“I wonder what Mom and Dad are doing now. Their movie should be over.”

“Other than hoping that they are having a good time, I am not going to think about what else your parents may be doing,” said Rumpelstiltskin firmly. “And that’s the third time you’ve yawned. Why don’t you go wash up and get in your pajamas?”

“All right,” Henry acquiesced, standing and stretching. He boxed up the last game they’d been playing and returned it and the others to the closet where they were stored. Bounding up the stairs to the room he’d been given, he looked around assessingly, liking the way the roof sloped down cosily over his bed, the bedspread turned down invitingly to reveal navy plaid flannel sheets. His room, if he wanted, Rumpelstiltskin had told him, his to decorate any way he liked. He wasn’t sure what he was going to do with it yet, but it would be nice to have a place to call his own here.He picked up his backpack with his pajamas and stuff and headed into the bathroom, where the big, deep claw-footed bathtub caught his eye, as did the row of bottles on the shelf next to it. He put his pack down and investigated. A fancy glass jar of rose-scented bath salts. Talcum powder. The body wash from the Old Spice gift set he’d gotten Rumpelstiltskin for Christmas, unable to resist what that particular variety had been called. He grinned as he remembered the raised eyebrow and look on Rumpelstiltskin’s face as he read the label. 

_'Swagger’?” His grandfather had read out disbelievingly._

_“I thought it fit you,” Henry had explained with a sheepish smile. “Smell it; it’s nice."_

_Belle had chortled and reached for the bottle of aftershave lotion. "It’s perfect, Henry. You should have seen him in the Dark Castle, swaggering around in his tight leather pants.” She uncapped the bottle and took a sniff. “Mmm, smells nice, just like you.” She had leaned over and kissed her husband._

“ _Too much information,” Neal had laughed. “Let me see.” Belle passed him the bottle and Neal took a sniff. “Not bad,” he agreed, passing it back to his father, who smelled it before recapping it._

“ _It’s very nice, Henry,” he said. “Thank you.”_

_Henry beamed. “Did you really wear leather pants?” he asked, trying to imagine it and failing._

“ _Very long-wearing, leather,” his grandfather had stated matter-of-factly. Your other grandfather wore it, too._

_Really?” Henry had turned to David curiously._

_Yep,” David had confirmed. “Although I do think yours were rather tighter.” He smirked at Rumpelstiltskin. “What did you do, magic them on?”_

Henry smiled at the memory and picked up a bottle of bubble bath that proclaimed it was pomegranate. His teacher had brought in some of the fruit, with its seeds like red jewels when they’d read the myth of Hades and Persephone. He’d liked the juice, but hadn’t been so fond of the pulpy mess the actual seeds became after chewing. He sniffed the fruity scent. Not bad, he decided. It had been a while since he’d had a bubble bath. He went back out into the hallway.

“Hey!” he shouted down the stairs. “Is it all right if I take a bath?”

“Of course it is!” Belle called up. “Towels are in the closet.”

Some time later Henry made his way back downstairs, in his plaid flannel pants and long-sleeved Avengers t-shirt and a cosy fleece bathrobe. He smelled faintly fruity (the bubble bath) and faintly Swagger-y (the soap bar), and felt thoroughly relaxed. 

“Hey,” he said, stopping behind the sofa where Belle and Rumpelstiltskin were talking quietly, her feet up in Rumpelstiltskin’s lap where he was rubbing them. 

Belle looked up and smiled. “You look ready for bed.”

“Yeah, I guess so. I heard the phone ring while I was in the bath. Was that Mom?”

Rumpelstiltskin tilted his head back to look at Henry. “Yeah; do you want to call her back?” He fished out his phone and passed it to Henry.

“Yeah, thanks.” He found the number and called. 

“Hi, Mom, having a good time? Yeah, we had a great night. Yes, I brushed my teeth.” He rolled his eyes. “G'night, love you too. Is Dad still with you? Tell him good night from me too, then. See you tomorrow.” He hung up and handed the phone back. “He’s still there,” he informed them smugly. 

“Promising,” Rumpelstiltskin observed. He regarded Henry thoughtfully. “I suppose you’re too old for tucking in?”

Henry didn’t miss the wistful note in his grandfather’s voice. “That depends. Does tucking in include a story?”

“Of course. It’s a vital part of the ritual.”

“Have you ever known me to turn down a story?” Henry asked. 

Rumpelstiltskin gently pushed Belle’s legs off his lap and stood up. “Well, then. After you –” He gestured to the stairs, and Henry began retracing his steps. “Although mind you, it’s getting harder and harder to think of ones you haven’t heard.” He stared. “What have you got on your feet?”

Henry grinned and stuck one foot out, showing off his furry slippers. “They’re bear paws.”

“So they are,” Rumpelstiltskin observed, amused. “New?”

“Yeah, Dad got them for me. And the robe, too. Tell me about when you were my age,” Henry prompted over his shoulder. “Living with your aunties.”

“Hmm.” Rumpelstiltskin followed Henry into his room and waited until he had gotten into bed. He pulled the covers up and tucked them in around the boy’s body securely. 

“Did they ever tell you stories? When you were younger?” Henry asked, tactfully not asking whether Malcolm had ever done so. 

“Oh, yes. Flora and Fauna were wonderful storytellers,” Rumpelstiltskin reminisced fondly. 

“And what about my father? Did you tell him stories at night?”

“Certainly, sometimes, especially when he couldn’t fall asleep right away.” Unsaid went the thought _after Milah left, and he was afraid to close his eyes and wake to find his father gone as well as his mother._ "Mostly silly little made-up things. A big favourite was 'Sir Bae rides out and has an adventure’. And I’d ask what adventure he wanted to hear about. 'Sir Bae meets a dragon!’ he’d say, or 'rescues a damsel in distress’, or 'battles with the evil Black Knight’.

Henry smiled, thinking of his father as a little boy, listening to his father’s stories.

“Or he’d want me to tell him about his mother; he was afraid he’d forget what she looked like. She hadn’t been a good mother to him, but he deserved to have his memory of her, so I told him what I could without outright lying. That she had lovely dark hair and flashing dark eyes and that he had her bold spirit.” Rumpelstiltskin glanced up at Belle, who had followed behind them and was leaning quietly against the doorjamb, listening. “How odd that I married two women who both wanted to go off and have adventures, when all I wanted to do was stay at home and raise my family.”

“But there’s a difference,” said Belle softly, coming to stand beside him and resting a hand on his shoulder, fingers lightly playing through his hair. “I found living with you was enough of an adventure. I’d still like to travel and see new places, but only if you’re there to share them with me.”

Rumpelstiltskin reached up and took her hand, squeezing it briefly before rising from his seat on the edge of Henry’s mattress. “And I think that’s enough for tonight. Good night, Henry. We’ll be right down the hall if you need anything.”

He leaned over and kissed his grandson on the forehead.

“'G'night, Grandpa. G'night, Belle.” Henry snuggled down comfortably as they left the room, switching the light off, leaving only the dim glow of the nightlight in the bathroom across the hall visible through the crack in the door. He listened to the comforting murmur of voices as his grandparents went into their room, and then the sliver of light disappeared as they went into the bathroom, replaced by the occasional sound of running water and once, a snort of laughter and an admonishing “Shh!”. He smiled, closing his eyes. He was asleep before the light reappeared. 


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A visit to the animal shelter ends with the Golds adding some new members to their family.

Henry woke and snuggled deeper into the cocoon of warmth beneath his blankets. For a few minutes he just lay there, remembering where he was and listening for any sounds indicating that his grandparents were up yet. But it was still quiet. He thought about dozing back off but the bright sun streaming in around the edges of his bedroom drapes called invitingly to him and made him decide to be the first one up. He threw back the covers and pulled the drapes open for light before diving into his clothes and boots. 

Slipping down the hall to the bathroom, he noticed the master bedroom door was ajar and peeked in, smiling to see his grandfather curled up behind Belle, their two heads sharing one pillow. He was as quiet as he could be in the bathroom, not wanting to wake them yet, and descended the stairs, nearly bouncing by the time he reached the bottom, delighting in being the first up. It was like having the house to himself, and it was a house that he liked. He liked the coral-coloured outside, and he liked all the different colours painted on the walls, and the warm colours in the upholstery, and the friendly clutter of items that meant there was always something interesting to look at. It was a complete contrast to the cold, stark, minimalist design of the mansion that he had grown up in. 

He opened the drapes in the kitchen, and the sun streamed in, reflecting brightly off the snow outside. He grinned when he opened the pantry and saw the new box of Frosted Flakes waiting for him. He wasn’t a picky eater, but it was nice the way he always found his favourite foods waiting for him whenever he visited. It made him feel loved, and wanted. He got the milk and orange juice out of the refrigerator, pouring the one into a glass and the other onto his bowl of cereal, and carried them over to the table. Eyeing the coffee maker, he wondered if he should start some. 

He was engrossed in the morning newspaper when his grandparents made an appearance, Rumpelstiltskin clad again in his zip front oatmeal cardigan. 

“You made coffee,” Belle said happily. 

“I hope it’s okay,” Henry said. “I didn’t know how you liked it, so I just doubled the number of scoops my mom likes.”

“As long as it’s hot and fresh, I’m sure it’ll be fine,” Rumpelstiltskin assured him. He poured two cups and handed one to Belle, who made an approving noise after taking a sip. He took one of his own and nodded at Henry. “It’s good. Now would you like anything else for breakfast?” He opened the fridge, taking out eggs and sausage and the juice. 

“I’ll have some of the sausage,” Henry said. “And maybe toast?”

“Let’s see…are you a marmalade man?” Rumpelstiltskin asked, briefly holding up the white jar of orange marmalade before setting it on the counter. “Or grape jelly?” He took out another jar. Or maybe –” He opened the cabinet next to the fridge and took down a bear-shaped glass jar. He certainly hadn’t bought the jar, it seemed to have come with the house, but Belle had discovered it at the back of the cabinet and been delighted with its whimsical shape. “– sugar and cinnamon?” He waved the half-filled bear temptingly.

“One slice with cinnamon and one with grape jelly,” Henry decided. “Do you want me to help?”

“No, you just sit and relax. You’re the guest, after all.” Rumpelstiltskin took another swig of his coffee and began moving efficiently around the kitchen, Belle still leaning back against a corner of the counter cradling her coffee mug and looking sleepy. 

Well, now he knew which of them was a morning person and who wasn’t, Henry thought with a small grin. She finally bestirred herself to feed slices of bread into the toaster and stack them on a plate as they came out, while Rumpelstiltskin cracked eggs and tipped them into a skillet. Belle passed him a plate with the first two slices of toast that popped up.

“Thanks, Belle.” He bit into the warm, buttery sugar and cinnamon one first and made a happy “mmm” sound. He went back to reading the paper as he crunched his toast, looking up as a plate of sausages was set down in front of him and his grandparents joined him with their own plates of eggs and sausage and toast. 

“Anything of interest this morning?” Rumpelstiltskin asked, gesturing at the paper. 

“Yeah, this.” Henry turned the folded back page he’d been reading to show them. _**“Adopt your best friend today!”**_ , the top of the half page ad urged. Underneath it were pictures of various animals and some facts about each one. The article proper began beneath the ad. “The animal shelter is holding an adoption drive. Says that most of the pets brought over from the Enchanted Forest hadn’t been neutered but it didn’t matter until the Curse broke and time started moving forward again, then everyone started getting pregnant,” Henry said matter-of-factly. “Or some animals might have already been pregnant but their bodies were frozen in time so the babies didn’t resume growing until Cursebreak. And now those litters are old enough to start having babies of their own if their owners didn’t get them neutered. And they have stuff besides dogs and cats, too, like birds and gerbils and lizards.”

“Let me see.” Belle held her hand out for the paper, and Henry passed it over. “Maybe it’d be nice if we got a couple of parakeets, Rumple.”

“Are you sure you want something that would spend most of its time in a cage?” he asked gently.

Belle made a face. “No, you’re right. I was just thinking that they’re pretty and would sing for us.”

“You could get a dog,” Henry said brightly. “You’ve got plenty of room, and I could come over every day to walk it and play with it while you’re at work.”

Rumpelstiltskin raised an eyebrow. “What about when you go back to school?” 

“I could run over during lunch break.”

“Emma still not agreeing to a pet?” he asked knowingly.

Henry’s face fell. “No. She says she doesn’t know anything about taking care of animals and I tell her that’s what books are for, and I could always ask the shelter staff if I have any questions, but no. At least not yet. But I’m not giving up.”

“The Adoption Drive starts this morning,” Belle observed. “Would you like to go over there, Henry, and just look around?”

“Yeah! When?”

“Give us time to have a leisurely breakfast and then we’ll head over there.” 

“Okay.” Henry forked some sausages on his plate, washed them down with another glass of orange juice, and finished skimming through the rest of the paper. He took his dishes over to the sink and bounded back upstairs, making his bed tidily and repacking all his things in his backpack. He looked around the room consideringly, wondering if he should go up to the attic and bring something cool down to personalize it. But then he glanced out the window, at the sun sparkling off the snow and had a better idea.

A couple of minutes later, movement in the backyard outside of the French windows drew Rumpelstiltskin’s and Belle’s attention.

"What’s he doing?” Belle asked, as Henry rolled a big ball of snow and stationed it right in front of the window. He glanced up and waved as he saw them watching.

“He’s building a snowman for us,” Rumpelstiltskin answered, watching in amusement as Henry heaved a second ball on top of the first and packed some snow around the join to make sure it was secure. A third ball for the head was added, then sticks for arms and small stones from the borders for eyes. Henry came and knocked on the glass.

“Got a carrot for the nose?” he asked. “Any old scarves or a hat?”

“I’ll get a carrot!” Belle got up and went to the refrigerator.

Rumpelstiltskin gestured and a shiny top hat appeared in his hand. “Will this do?” He handed it to Henry.

“Perfect! But it’s not going to bring him to life, is it?” Henry eyed the hat cautiously.

“The hat itself it completely non-magical,” Rumpelstiltskin assured him. Belle returned with the carrot, and stayed by the window, watching as Henry added the nose and the hat.

“He’s lovely, Henry,” she called, beaming. “Thank you!”

Henry bowed with a flourish, and Belle snapped a picture of him and the snowman.

“We’ll be ready to go in about ten minutes,” Rumpelstiltskin called.

“Okay,” Henry called back, and came back in a minute later, knocking the snow from his boots before coming in but staying just inside the door on the rug. “Can I have one more cup of cocoa before we go?” he asked, cheeks ruddy and eyes bright. 

“Of course.” Belle passed him a mug a minute later and Henry sipped it appreciatively. He’d left his backpack by the door and was ready to follow them out to the car when his grandparents had tidied away the dishes and pulled on their coats and gloves and scarfs. He climbed into the back seat of the Cadillac and buckled up, aware of his grandfather watching in the rearview mirror until he had done so. 

Outside the shelter, balloons drew the eye and a brightly-coloured sign informed passers-by of the adoption drive. A handful of people were inside, and Henry called out when he recognised one at the front desk. 

“Hey, Nicholas!”

Nicholas Zimmer turned, his face alight with happiness. “Henry! My dad’s letting me get a bearded dragon!” He lifted up the small animal cage next to him to show him. 

“Cool,” Henry left the Golds’ side, crossing to his friend. “What are you going to name him?”

“Merlin. I’m going to make him part of my act. Instead of pulling a rabbit out of a hat, I’ll pull a lizard.” He was currently fascinated by stage magic, he and Henry having found an old magic set in the attic of the pink house one day near the end of summer, the Curse having apparently decided that every old, dusty attic should come pre-furnished with a bunch of old games. He looked past Henry. “Hi, Mr. and Mrs. Gold,” he called cheerfully.

“Hello, Nicholas,” Rumpelstiltskin smiled. “Ava. Mr. Tillman.”

“Gold.” Michael Tillman, busy filling out paperwork, gave him a courteous nod. Nicholas had visited the Golds several times since last summer, drawn by the treehouse Henry had been building nearby, and his boy had assured him that Gold had always been perfectly friendly to him. 

“You’ve already got a cat, right, Ava?” Belle asked politely. 

Ava nodded. “Smoky. I hope she and Merlin get along.”

Rumpelstiltskin drifted over to the collapsible playpen that had been set up in the lobby, five dogs currently occupying it. A little blond cocker spaniel caught his eye and made him think of Belle. Still young, but no longer a puppy – maybe a year old, he thought. She had been sitting quietly watching two puppies playing tug of war with a piece of braided rope, but as soon as he approached, she rushed at the wire fence and reared up on it, barking, her stub tail wagging furiously. Rumpelstiltskin smiled, leaning over and allowing her to sniff his closed hand before scratching behind her ears. 

“Hello, little lady. You’re a pretty one, aren’t you?”

Her tongue came out, lapping lovingly at his wrist, her whole body seeming to vibrate with excitement. She didn’t belong in here, Rumpelstiltskin thought, she needed a home, someone to lavish with love.

“Hey.” Belle joined him, Henry crouching on the other side of the pen and trying to get the puppies’ attention. “Who have we got here?” The cocker switched her attention to this new person petting her, only dropping back down onto all fours when Belle crouched down to her level. 

“A very affectionate cocker spaniel,” Rumpelstiltskin smiled. “Do you like her?” Out of the corner of his eye he noticed the last dog in the pen, a medium-sized grey dog, had drawn closer and was watching them attentively, his eyes darting from the cocker to Belle and back again. A schnauzer mix, Rumpelstiltskin decided, with a square build and wiry coat, a few years old at least, full grown. He chirruped, and the dog got up, took a couple of steps towards him, then sat back down, his attention switching back to the cocker again. 

Belle frowned. “He’s limping.” She dangled a hand in the enclosure invitingly. “Come here, boy, let me take a look at you.” 

The dog got up again and came close enough to sniff her hand, his tail offering a tentative wag. Rumpelstiltskin’s eyes swept over the animal, saw the shaved patch on one of its hind legs. 

“Back left leg,” he said. “I see stitches.”

Belle stroked the grey dog sympathetically. “Poor baby, were you hurt?” she crooned.

She looked up, and saw David Nolan, who had volunteered to help out for the day at his old job. 

“David, is this dog’s leg going to be okay?”

David came over with a smile. “It’s going to be fine. He had a pretty deep gash on it when he was brought in, but the vet sewed it up and it should heal with no problem. Interested in him?”

“I don’t know yet; I haven’t looked around at any other animals yet.”

“All right. Let me know if you want me to take anybody out. We have a room where you can have a little one-on-one time, decide if a pet is right for you.”

Henry finally left the puppies to their tumbling and came around to the other side of the pen. He looked from the gold coat of the cocker spaniel to the rough grey one of the mongrel and smiled broadly. 

“It’s Lady and the Tramp!” he exclaimed, leaning over the pen. The cocker’s tail started thrashing again and she reared up with a whine in her throat. Henry stroked her domed head and silky ears, and glanced at the more reserved dog. “Hey, Tramp,” he said softly, and was rewarded with a muzzle pushed into his hand. 

David shook his head, puzzled. “The staff _have_ been calling the cocker “Lady”, but the mutt is “Rocky.”

Henry gave him a withering look. “No, his name is Tramp. They’re famous; they’re in a movie; they’re True Love. You have to adopt them out together.”

“Another movie, Henry?” Belle looked up at him. “Really?”

“Yes. You’ll have to watch it. But trust me, they belong together. You can see how he keeps looking at her. You have enough room for both,” he said hopefully. “They could keep each other company while you’re at work.”

“I don’t know, Henry, we haven’t even decided if we want one dog yet, let alone two.” 

But the thing was, Rumpelstiltskin could see that Henry was right. Tramp – if that was his name – did keep looking at Lady, and staying protectively close by her side. And Henry was right; he wouldn’t feel so bad about leaving a dog alone all day if they had a playmate. 

“Let’s look at the other animals before we decide anything,” Belle suggested, and Henry trailed after them as they headed to the cat room with a backward glance over his shoulder at David. 

“Remember, Grandpa, they have to be kept together. Don’t let someone come in and adopt just one. _Please._ ”

“If someone comes in while you’re back there and wants one, I’ll let you know,” David promised. “But we have to find homes for them.”

Belle spent some time oohing and aahing over various cats but finally looked around helplessly. “I can’t decide. Let’s look at the dogs.”

In the dog room, Rumpelstiltskin immediately went over to the kennel of what looked like a border collie mixed with something leggier, maybe a greyhound. Belle stopped in front of the smaller dogs’ cages, and began cooing at a fluffy white lap dog, which began to yip excitedly as it licked at her fingers through the bars. Henry winced at the high-pitched nature of the yipping, and looked down the row. At the end of it, a yellow labrador was being led out of a shared run and its leash handed over to his gym teacher, Mr. Knight, and his wife Kathryn. Henry smiled and started down the row to say hello to them, but stopped short when he saw the dalmatian sitting in the same run. A slim, pretty female dalmatian, he noticed. 

“Hi, Henry,” the Knights greeted him, the lab shoving forward happily to greet him as well. Henry laughed and petted him.

“Hi, are you adopting him?”

“We are,” Frederick confirmed. “Aren’t we, Champ?”

Champ woofed. 

“That’s great,” Henry beamed. They said their goodbyes and Henry fished out his phone. His former therapist’s number was on speed dial. He pressed the button and waited.

“Yeah, hi Archie, it’s me, Henry. Listen, do you think Pongo ever gets lonely while you’re at work? That maybe he’d like another dog as a friend?”

_“Well, yes, I have sometimes. But my apartment’s not that big, and we do go to the dog park so he can have some playtime with other dogs.”_

“What if the other dog needed a home?” Henry cajoled. “What if there was another dalmatian here at the animal shelter?”

There was a short silence. _“Henry, I don’t know…”_

“Just come down and have a look at her,” Henry suggested. “Maybe even bring Pongo, see if they look like they would get along. Would you do that for me?”

_“All right, I guess I could do that.”_

“Thanks! I’d try calling her Perdita,” Henry suggested, and noted with satisfaction the way the dog’s ears instantly cocked forward at the sound of the name. “Yeah, definitely Perdita.” He hung up and started back towards his grandfather and Belle, scanning for other familiar faces as he went. Just as he reached the kennel with the shaggy black and white dog, the door to the room burst open.

“This one!” Dragging her parents behind her, the young girl – about seven, with unruly red curls escaping from a long braid that hung down her back – stopped beside Rumpelstiltskin, gazing at the shaggy black and white dog with an air of adoration, then glancing at the sorcerer suspiciously.

“He’s mine,” she declared fiercely, in an accent similar to Rumpelstiltskin’s own. “You can’t have him.”

“Meredith!” her mother scolded. “Don’t be rude.”

“If he’s yours,” Rumpelstiltskin asked amusedly, “Why is he still here, locked in a cage?”

“They wouldna let me take him home because I’m a kid,” she retorted. “But I’ve got my parents here now and my da says I can have a dog. And I want Jock.”

Rumpelstiltskin noted the way the dog pawed at the wire fencing, whining, and tried to shove its nose through a hole. He settled for extending a long pink tongue and curling it around the girl’s fingers as she offered them to the dog to lick. She’d been here before, by the look of it.

“Look, Mr. Gold, isn’t it?” The girl’s father was a big, burly man with curly hair even longer than Rumpelstiltskin’s. “Are you interested in this dog here?”

“Interested – yes. He’s a beautiful dog. But he’s the type of dog that’s going to need a lot of exercise, and running about to be happy. And I don’t really think I can give him that. What about you, young lady?” He addressed Meredith. “What do you plan to do with this dog if he were yours?”

“I want to teach him to play frisbee!” she declared. “Like on TV. Wi’ the running an’ the jumping an’ doing flips. I’d give him lots of exercise!”

“Hmm, that sounds like something he’d enjoy. And you’ve already named him, you say?”

“Yes. His name is Jock. Isn’t it, boy?”

The dog’s tail wagged even harder. The girls’ parents, seeing the way things were going, stood by with smiles teasing at their lips.

“Well, then, I’ll step back and surrender all claims to Jock. Take good care of him, remember.”

“Oh, I will!” Her face relaxed and she whirled to face her father. “I can have him, right, Da?”

“He’s a bonny lad and no mistake,” her father said, reaching out to lay a hand on her head. “Make a fine addition to our family. You’ve been good about helping out with the wee lads, and we appreciate that.”

“I’ll go get someone to let him out for us.” Her mother pushed open the door and headed back out towards the lobby, leaving father and daughter to beam down at their soon-to-be best friend. 

“See anything you like, Belle?” Rumpelstiltskin asked, crossing the aisle to stand beside her.

“I like this little white one,” Belle admitted, 

“But Lady and the Tramp,” Henry protested.

“I don’t know about two dogs, Henry. I’m sure they’ll get adopted out to new homes pretty soon. 

“But they don’t belong in homes, plural. They belong in one home, singular.” he insisted. They’re true love, look here.” Henry quickly searched for and found a picture on his phone of the cartoon duo, and Rumpelstiltskin leaned in to look at it.

“I can see it,” he admitted. 

“Do _you_ want to adopt them?” Belle asked.

“Well, I’ve no objection to two instead of just one if they’re already friends,” Rumpelstiltskin admitted. “They’d be company for each other while we’re at work. But only if you want them. We don’t have to get anything if you don’t want.”

“Why don’t you ask David to take them out of the pen and into the playroom?” Henry suggested. “Get to know them a bit better before you decide.”

“Okay, we’ll do that,” Belle agreed. She turned back to the little white dog. “if I don’t come back for you, sweetheart, I’m going to ask the shelter staff to let me know if you get adopted soon. Maybe I’ll –” she paused as a thought occurred to her. “I’m going to start a thing at the library,” she decided. “Every week I’ll put up a picture of an animal that needs to be adopted and a little something about them. Maybe it’ll help some of these guys find new homes sooner.”

“That’s a great idea!” Henry enthused. They went back out into the main lobby, and a pleasant young man named Joe went into the dog pen at their request, and clipped two short leads onto the two dogs’ collars, coming back out and handing Lady’s to Belle and Tramp’s to Rumpelstiltskin. Lady danced around excitedly in front of Belle and she laughed even as she tried to calm her down. 

“Tell her to heel,” Joe suggested.

“Lady, heel!” Belle said, and Lady stilled for a moment, her head cocked, then circled around behind Belle and sat down at her left side, looking up anxiously.

“What a good girl!” Belle exclaimed in delight, switching the leash over to her left hand. Lady brightened up instantly, her tail wagging furiously against the floor. “Did you teach her that, Joe?”

“Aye,” he said proudly. “Whenever I have some time, I try to teach them all basic commands. Makes them more adoptable. Lady is very bright, although easily distracted. She’s young, though, and doesn’t get as much exercise as she could use in here. That would help temper her energy and allow her to concentrate better.”

“What about Tramp?” asked Rumpelstiltskin. The mutt was looking around with pricked ears, as if hardly daring to believe he might be going somewhere with his friend Lady. He shifted the leash over to his left hand as well.

“Ah, well. He _knows_ ‘sit’ and ‘come’, but whether or not he’ll do them depends entirely on whether he wants to or not at that particular moment,” Joe admitted. “He’s got a mind of his own, that one.”

Rumpelstiltskin leaned down and gave Tramp an approving pat. “A dog who thinks for himself, I like that. Never bend the neck to anyone who hasn’t earned your respect, my lad. I’ll see what I can do about convincing you that I deserve yours.” He manually positioned Tramp at his left side and stroked the dog’s head with a murmured word of praise. “Now where’s this room we can be with the dogs in?”

“Right this way.” Joe led them to a small room fronted with clear acrylic and furnished with a bench, and left them to get better acquainted, Henry answering his phone as he followed the others in.

“Yeah, hi Mom.” He glanced at his watch. “Okay. Granny’s for lunch. I’m at the animal shelter,” he said, smiling as Lady promptly hopped up between Belle and Rumpelstiltskin as they sat down on the bench. “I know; Grandpa and Belle might be getting one, though. Or hopefully two. Hey, why don’t you come over here and see the dogs? I’d like your opinion on something.” He watched as his grandfather unclipped Tramp’s leash from his collar and the dog began to methodically sniff his way over every square inch of the room. “Great! How soon can you be here? Perfect, we’re in this little room right off the lobby where you can play with the dogs and get to know them. See you soon.”

Henry hung up and sat down on the floor, grinning as Tramp came over and climbed onto his lap, scouring his face with a long pink tongue.

* * *

  
Emma and Neal pushed open the door to the animal shelter and looked around. “Over there,” she pointed, spotting Henry with his grandparents through the clear front wall of the room. He was on the floor with a rough-coated grey dog, and it was hard to tell who looked happier. The dog lay with his head in Henry’s lap, wriggling blissfully as Henry rubbed his chest and belly, telling him what a good dog he was.

“Every boy should have a dog,” said Neal, smiling.

“Yeah, why don’t you get one then to keep at your place?” Emma retorted.

“Because Henry lives with _you,_ ” Neal said simply. “He couldn’t build a bond with a dog he just saw occasionally on visits.”

But Emma wasn’t really listening, having noticed the other dog curled up between Gold and Belle, tail swishing contentedly as she was stroked. Emma looked at her thoughtfully.

“Hey, Neal.” She pointed. “That’s a cocker spaniel, right?”

“Yeah, I think so.”

“So…are you seeing what I’m seeing?” Emma pointedly looked from one dog to the other and then back at Neal. He cocked his head contemplatively and she could see the exact instant that comprehension dawned.

“Would it have anything to do with spaghetti and meatballs?” he asked, crossing the room to stand right in front of the playroom window.

“It would.” Emma followed him and tapped lightly on the acrylic. “Hey, kid,” she greeted.

Henry looked up. “Mom!”

“You do realise that you’ve got Lady and the Tramp in there, right?” asked Neal with an amused grin.

“Dad! Yes! So you see it too.” He scrambled to his feet, Tramp rolling over to stand up and give himself a shake as he was unceremoniously dislodged from his position.

Belle stood up too, Lady jumping down beside her. “So Henry’s right? They’re storybook characters in this world? And true love?”

“Yeah, I guess you could say that,” Emma agreed. “Are you really going to adopt them?”

“If we do, Henry, are you still on board with coming over most days to let them out while we’re at work? It doesn’t have to be every day, not if the weather’s bad or it interferes with school.”

“Yes!” he enthused. “I’ll let them out and play with them a bit or give them a walk.”

“Rumpel?” Belle looked inquiringly at him.

“What do you say, Tramp?” he asked conversationally. “Do you want to come home with us and be my dog?”

Tramp looked at him, recognising his name and the word “come”. 

Knowing that he might end up looking foolish, Rumpelstiltskin nevertheless repeated his name, softly. “Tramp. Tramp, come.” He patted his thigh. 

And Tramp went, and sat at Rumpelstiltskin’s feet, and laid his whiskery jaw on his knee and looked up at him with his deep brown eyes. Rumpelstiltskin swallowed a lump in his throat and fondled the silky ears.

“Well, I’d say that was a ‘yes’,” said Neal, smirking. 

“Well, then.” Rumpelstiltskin got to his feet and glanced at Belle. “Are we enlarging our family?”

“Looks like it,” she smiled, bending to reclip Lady’s leash onto her collar, Rumpelstiltskin following suit with Tramp.

“All right!” Henry cheered. He exited the room, followed by the others. “Hey, Archie didn’t come in while I wasn’t paying attention, did he?”

“Archie?” asked Emma. “Not that I saw; why would he?”

“They’ve got Perdita in the back. I thought he should adopt her; she belongs with Pongo.”

“How do you know it was Perdita?” asked Emma cautiously.

“Well, she seemed to recognise her name,” explained Henry. “Besides, who else would a female Dalmatian in Storybrooke be?”

“The kid’s probably right,” acknowledged Neal. “Didn’t happen to see Lassie as well, did you?”

Nearby, Joe looked up as he scooped the remaining two sleeping puppies out of the pen, one having already found a new home. “My dog’s named Lassie, what of her?”

“Is she a collie?” Emma asked, certain she already knew the answer.

“Yes; how do you know?”

“I think I’ve seen you around,” Emma said vaguely. “You’re name’s not Timmy, is it?” Then she caught sight of his name tag.

“No, Joe. Joe Carraclough.” He looked at her oddly, but then one of the puppies woke up and started squirming. “Excuse me, I’ve got to go put these guys back in their cage, bring some new dogs out.” 

“Oh! There’s a little white dog back there, a fluffy one,” Belle said. “Can she come out? I’d really like someone to see her and adopt her.”

“Sure thing. She’ll probably get adopted soon; the cute little ones are always popular.”

“How about the dalmatian?’ Henry asked. “Can she come up front?”

“I don’t see why not,” Joe replied affably, and disappeared down the hallway.

“Mom,” Henry hissed once he was gone. “Do you know who that was?” 

Emma shook her head. “Who?”

“Joe Carraclough was the boy in _Lassie, Come Home_ ,” he said excitedly. 

“Of course he was,” she said philosophically. “Why not?”

“So, are you going to take them?” David asked as they approached the desk.

“We are,” Rumpelstiltskin affirmed, and Henry beamed. 

“That’s great; let me get the paperwork you need to fill out.” He pulled some forms out and Rumpelstiltskin handed Tramp’s lead to Henry.

“Make yourself useful,” he said with a twinkle in his eye.

Henry took the lead happily.

“Ready to go to Granny’s when we leave here?” asked Emma, ruffling his hair.

“Can’t we go home with Grandpa and Belle first to see how the dogs like it?” 

“Actually,” said Rumpelstiltskin, “We really need to go to the pet store first, pick up some supplies. And then dogproof the house, get all the breakables up out of reach.” He glanced up at David. “Would it be all right to leave the dogs here for now and come back for them later this afternoon?”

“Sure thing. We’ll be open till 6. We’ll put them back in their crates with an “adopted” sign until then.” 

Once all the forms had been filled out and Lady and the Tramp put back into their crates with promises that they would be back later for them, Henry begged to be allowed to go to the pet store first to help pick out things before lunch. 

“All right, family outing,” agreed Neal jovially. “Who do you want to ride with?” 

The pet store took longer than expected. First there were the collars. Rumpelstiltskin favoured the classic leather ones, while Belle took a shine to some tartan ones.

“One of each?” he suggested hesitantly.

“I want them to match.” She shook her head.

Henry wandered further down the aisle and triumphantly pulled a leash off the rack. “Leather collars and plaid leashes?” he asked, holding it up.

“Tartan,” corrected Rumpelstiltskin automatically. “A plaid is something you wear.”

“O-kay.” Henry made a mental note to look that up. “But the leashes – yes or no?”

Rumpelstiltskin and Belle glanced at each other. “Yes,” they agreed.

Then there were the dog beds, and the toys. Two balls, two squeaky toys, two fleecy stuffed critters, and two tug ropes were deemed sufficient to start with. Grooming tools. Different styles and colours of food and water dishes to choose from. And then finally they came to the food aisle and looked helplessly at the vast array that greeted them.“I never realised it was that complicated to have a dog these days,” observed Neal, remembering the sheepdog they’d had when he was a boy. “Does it matter?”

“Of course it matters!” retorted Rumpelstiltskin. “There’s the high quality stuff and there’s the equivalent of junk food.”

“That one!” said Belle, after scanning the shelves methodically. She pointed. “That’s the one the shelter staff recommended.” She went to tug a bag off the shelf and Neal took it from her and heaved it into the cart.

“What kind of treats?” asked Henry, moving on down the aisle.

The selection was even more daunting. Finally they decided on one of the brands that touted itself as healthier, adding a package each of cheese, peanut butter, and liver flavoured treats to the cart. A couple of rawhide chews to round things off and they headed for the check-out. It wasn’t long before they were outside and stowing everything in the Cadillac’s voluminous trunk. Henry reached into the backseat and transferred his backpack into Emma’s Bug.

“Well, that was a strangely wholesome shopping trip with the Dark One,” Emma remarked wryly. “Listen – would you two like to join us for lunch at Granny’s? Neal and I have something we’d like to tell you.”

“Is this about why you and Dad showed up together?” Henry asked brightly.

“I told you he’d notice that,” Neal muttered to Emma under his breath. “Yeah, sort of.”

“Did you spend the night together?”

“Henry!” Emma’s and Belle’s voices rang out in unison. 

“Okay, sorry,” he said, abashed. “But come on, tell me!”

“We’ve decided to try dating again,” Neal said. 

Henry turned to Rumpelstiltskin and Belle. “High five!” he exclaimed joyfully, holding his hands up in the air, and Belle promptly slapped her palm against his. Feeling rather silly, Rumpelstiltskin caved and followed suit when Henry didn’t lower his other hand. “Operation: Wolfpack is a success!”

“Wait, you did plan all this, didn’t you?” Neal demanded. “With the dinner date and everything?”

“We were just providing an opportunity,” Rumpelstiltskin said smoothly. “For you to take if you wished. Henry thought that maybe taking himself out of the way for a night might allow you to make a move.” He smirked. “Good job, son.”

“I can’t believe you set us up!” Emma exclaimed. “Except I can, I already wondered about it. You even gave us a codename?” She considered a moment, then grudgingly admitted. “Although it’s a good one; I like it.”

“So you’re not angry?” Henry asked, making sure.

“No; how could we be? You were right. It gave us the opportunity to talk out a lot of things.” Neal pulled his son into a hug. “But really, you’re a little schemer!”

Emma coughed pointedly. “Like father, like son?” 

“Since Henry is awesome, I’ll take that as a compliment.” Neal grinned. “Come on, celebration at Granny’s for the Cassidy-Swan-Gold wolfpack! To new starts, for everyone, man and beast alike.”

Henry promptly tilted his head back and howled.

“Swan-Gold-Cassidy rolls off the tongue better,” said Emma thoughtfully. “Or Gold-Swan-Cassidy.”

Neal tilted his head back and forth, considering. “Yeah, all right, it does. We’ll put the old man first. Gold-Swan-Cassidy.”

“Gee, thanks,” Rumpelstiltskin said dryly. “Does that mean I’m the head of this little wolfpack?”

“Actually, I think Henry is,” remarked Belle. She put an arm around his shoulders and hugged him. He’s the one making sure everyone gets their happy ending.”

Emma glanced at Neal. “You’re probably right.” 

Neal pulled Henry away from Belle and held his hands over Henry’s ears. “Yeah, probably. Don’t tell the kid, though, it’ll go to his head.”

“Dad, I can hear you.” Henry squirmed away, grinning. 

“New starts are always good,” said Belle, slipping an arm around Rumpelstiltskin’s waist and looking up at him with a soft smile. He took the hint and leaned down to kiss her.

Henry grinned and looked at his parents. “I don’t mind if you want to kiss, too,” he informed them. 

Neal looked at Emma and raised his eyebrows questioningly. “I would not be averse.”

“Oh, for Pete’s sake.” Emma grabbed him by his jacket and hauled him in and kissed him, hard.

“Whoa,” said Henry, impressed. 

“Happy now?” she asked.

“Yeah.” He grinned.

“I know I am,” chimed in Neal, looking a bit stunned and licking his lips.

“All right, a quick burger for us and then we have to get home and get the place ready for the dogs,” said Rumpelstiltskin.

“And then you’ll call me so I can meet you at the shelter?” Henry asked.

“We’ll call you,” Rumpelstiltskin affirmed. 

“Maybe we should have called this Operation: Dogpack,” Henry said cheerfully.

He didn’t think the day could get much better until they were all sitting in Granny’s waiting for their orders to arrive and his phone rang. 

“Archie! Hi, did you ever get down to the shelter?” 

_“Yes, and you were right. She’s a lovely dog, and Pongo seemed to like her. But there was already a woman there in the process of adopting her.”_

Henry’s face fell.

_“But we started talking, and she was very nice, and…and Henry, I’ve got a date with her.”_

“What?” Henry sat up straighter. 

_“I don’t know how it happened; I’ve never felt this way about a woman before. We just seemed to hit it off instantly and with the dogs to talk about…well, before I knew it, she was asking me over to her place for dinner. Said she didn’t want to leave Perdita alone yet more than she had to and that I could bring Pongo along so they could have a play date. I’m still feeling a little dazed, to be honest.”_

Henry was smiling so hard that his face hurt. “Listen, Archie, I’ve got a good feeling about this. Just be yourself and things wil turn out great. You didn’t mention her name, though.” He held his breath, and relaxed when Archie answered. 

_“Anita. Her name’s Anita.”_


End file.
